Hikers and hunters

[adknbvi]

I would like to plan some day hikes in the High Peaks during late October or early November, but I'm concerned because I don't know what the hunting situation is. Coming from the mid-Atlantic, we'd have to be nuts to go into the woods around here during those months. Can anyone give me any idea of what to expect? I have bright yellow gortex as a starting point, but I will admit, I'm more afraid of hunters than bears. Is it safe if you stay on the major trails to the more popular peaks? Any information would be appreciated.

[sacco]

you should be very safe if you wear bright orange or yellow and stick to the trails.

very few deer or hunters are peak baggers

[redhawk]

I think once you get into the woods you will be ok (as long as you don't wear brown or anything with antlers or "moosie" slippers!).

I did the Northville Placid trail last November in hunting season and didn't see any hunters or hear any gunfire.

The ones ya have to beware of are the ones who come up and shoot from the road at anything that moves.

[Tom McG]

A nice bit of information for you, there is no record of a Hunter shooting a Hiker, in New York.
It may be advisable to limit your off trail hiking to the non-hunting season, just to help keep that record intact.
Last year I was planning on hiking Thunderbolt Mountain, in the Pharaoh Lake Region, and ran into a hunter who told us that a group of hunter had just gone up that ridge. Being flexible, we decided to cross the trail and climb Grizzle Ocean Mountain instead and ended up with an unexpected marvelous view of Treadway and Pharaoh Mts.
Hiking during Hunting Season is safe; just don’t wear white or brown.
Tom

[jpm8920]

I hunt quit a bit, and have never had a problem with hikers. I wish people didn't look at hunters like people who will shoot at anything that moves in the woods. 99% of hunters are very responsible and take hunting and safety very seriously. Of coarse there are always a couple of people who are the exception, but that is true in any situation.

[sacco]

i think tom McG (any relation to sam?) brings up a good point about courtesy and flexibility.
i often hear hikers complain about deer hunters ruining the woods in the fall. i think it's important to remember that they're only there 3 weeks out of the year.
you can bushwack through the woods wearing your moose antlered hat with your carthart coveralls 49 weeks out of the year.
3 weeks of wearing orange and sticking to the trails is not a lot to ask IMO.

[Tom McG]

[QUOTE=sacco]i think tom McG (any relation to sam?) Not that I know of.

I'll second what jpm8920 said, I have never found any hunter to be anything other the courteous. Just for the record, I have never been a hunter.
It would be terrible not to hike during hunting season, that's when the colors are there best.

[sacco]

Originally Posted by Tom McG

i think tom McG (any relation to sam?) Not that I know of.

i was kiddin.

the cremation of sam mc gee is a poem by robert w. service. one of my all time favorites.

[ADackR]

you should be fine, as hunters stay away from the popular areas...

if you do decide to go for trials outside the high peaks. just watch out for trails and areas that are closed from oct-dec. remember there are a lot of easements that state has and most of them close up around this time....

[Martin]

Originally Posted by sacco

i was kiddin.

the cremation of sam mc gee is a poem by robert w. service. one of my all time favorites.

How does it go.

"Sam McGee was from Tennessee, where the cotton bloomed and .... "

I remember studying this in high school.

[sacco]

yup, thats the one. bobby service is one of my fav poets.

[Dave K]

We hunted the Flowed Lands last year (bear), stayed in the leanto up in the woods at the southern tip of the lake. GREAT leanto... secluded and I don't think it gets as much usage as the two where the Calamity Brook trail drops you (or the one on the East side up in the little peninsula).

We did a night hike in (Calamity Brook) and noticed that both the CB shelters were occupied as we walked past (it was about 3am so everyone was asleep). Hunted saturday without luck (or even sighting). Saturday night we were filtering water before dinner when hikers were heading by, they were staying at the CB leanto's and said that a bear had hit both of those shelters a bit earlier... the trail of broken open packs and food crumbs was headed our way (turns out that neither shelter was using bear bags or anything... just left their food in their packs... DUH!).

A couple of guys from our group headed up to follow the trail and the rest of us started cooking up bacon (baiting ). This trip was when I decided that bears could smell guns and avoided them, becuse there was at least one bear active raiding camps around us... but we didn't see a one of em all weekend. Of course that didn't bother me any, carrying a bear out from the flowed lands in addition to our already full packs would not have been fun.

I think most hunters are very responsible, and quite often they're hikers and climbers during the off season (gotta love the outdoors to be a hunter). Personally I worry about bears a lot more than hunters.

Here's a pic I believe taken just after talking to the hikers.

[Neil]

There's hunting in the High Peaks region?? Like around Lake Colden, Johns Brook, Wallface ponds etc. etc. From when to when?

[ADackR]

Originally Posted by Neil

There's hunting in the High Peaks region?? Like around Lake Colden, Johns Brook, Wallface ponds etc. etc. From when to when?

as it is state land, when ever the season opens...

i think elk lake is closed during deer, i could be mistaken though

[Dave K]

Elk Lake is private land... To my knowledge there's only public access for hiking (very nice of them if you ask me)... no hunting no fishing.

[Hakuna Matada]

Hunting is off limits on AMR property (Ausable Club) out of Keene Valley. A nice fall hike in that area is to Indian Head. Hiking any of the mountains from that starting point would put you in a no hunting zone near the car and once you get very far from the car you usually don't run into hunters. My experience with hunters is that they usually like to throw their kill on an ATV and drive it out. Can you tell I'm not a hunter?

[Neil]

Could a person going up to Mt. Marcy get hit by a stray bullet?

[Adk Keith]

Originally Posted by Neil

Could a person going up to Mt. Marcy get hit by a stray bullet?

Yes

[sacco]

Originally Posted by Neil

Could a person going up to Mt. Marcy get hit by a stray bullet?

a person going up mt. marcy could also get hit by a stray coconut.

(a swallow could drop it on you)

[Dave K]

Originally Posted by Adk Keith

Yes

True enough... Of course you'd be just as likely to get hit by a stray bullet as you drove up the northway to the trail head. (that is to say... extremely UNlikely).